


Same as it Never Was

by CreativityFlow (orphan_account)



Series: Same as it Never Was [1]
Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Angst, Character Death, Episode: s03e21 Same As It Never Was, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-18
Updated: 2015-11-18
Packaged: 2018-05-02 05:33:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5236154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/CreativityFlow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leonardo wasn't as lonely as he led everyone to believe...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Same as it Never Was

"Leo," I called, running into our underground hideout. "You have a message. From April's people."

He was in usual place, meditating by an old candle, that looked like it would burn out any minute. His old, worn, black trench coat was draped on a piece of rotten wood, and his dark glasses were pressed tight agaisnt his face. "What do they want?" he asked, sounding as if he was in a trance.

"They just said they needed help with something. They didn't know much," I told him, calmly walking over, and pushing my once blonde, now brown with dirt, short, choppy hair out of my eyes. I had high topped sneakers, that were worn out, but still did the job, and a pair of old, faded black jeans. I had a light brown jacket with my sleeves pushed up to my elbows, fingerless gloves, and the collar of my jacket popped up, with an old, torn, blue scarf wrapped around my neck. Strapped to my waist, was a couple of daggers and a single katana that once belonged to Leo; I had named it Kindness.

"And how do you know they weren't telling you everything?" he asked, opening his eyes, and standing up.

I swiftly pulled out Kindness, and held it at his throat, smirking. "I had a hunch."

He looked at me sternly, pushing my katana out of his face. "That wasn't the right way to get information, you know," he scolded, but kissed my forehead anyway. "What did they say exactly?

I shrugged, leaning up against the wall. "They just said that our help was needed, and that we best get the the resistance base ASAP."

"I sense something bad," he sighed. "So we better go." He pulled on his coat, and started walking out the door, with a quick glance behind him to make sure I was following.

\---

"Alright, I'll go in first," Leo started, staring at the big, crumbling building in front of us, "and when the coast is clear, I'll signal you. You stay close, but out of sight. Got it?"

"We do this every time, Leo," I sighed, flinging my scarf over my shoulder. "I got it."

He shook his head, and after quickly glancing around, dashed across the street. I waited a few seconds before following. By the time I entered the building, Leo was talking to another turtle. Based on his looks and attitude, I guessed it was Raphael. He had a red mask, with one eye stitched up, and had dark brown leather jacket. I quietly climbed up onto a rafter to watch the show.

"Oh, what's the matta' Leo?" Raphael was asking. "I remind ya of when you made us abandon Masta' Splinta', when he needed us most?" He made a grab at Leo's throat, but the dark turtle swatted his hand away with the wave of his katana.

"It's what he wanted Raph!" he defended. "To save us. If we had gone back there, we would have all been destroyed!"

"We coulda saved him!" Raphael insisted, and I bit my lip.

"You know we couldn't!" Leo argued. "He was gone!"

With a growl, Raphael shoved his brother away. Leo pulled out his katana, snarling. "All right, Raph," he said, "I'm through with talking! Let's finish this once and for all!"

As he raised his sword, I tensed, reaching back, and started to grab my own. However, at the last minute, a bo staff knocked both brothers to the ground. I hesitantly let go of Kindness, upon seeing another turtle.

Leo had told me about him, once. The purple clad turtle, the genius; the one that left, the one that had held the brothers together. Donatello.

"What?" I heard Raphael ask, as he sat up.

"Leo, Raph," he said, looking at them both in turn. "We need to talk." He helped them both up, but they stared at him like he had two heads. 

"Donny?" Raphael asked, disbelieving. "No way!" He pulled his long lost brother into a hug, grinning.

"Donatello," Leo gasped. "You're back... I don't believe it." He too smiled, and I looked down to see another turtle, one missing an arm, walk beneath me to join his brethren.

"Believe it," he said, announcing his presence. I noticed a woman with greying hair walking beside him. Michelangelo and April, I guessed. "Brainiac here wants to go up against the Shredder."

"We already tried it, Donny," Leo said grimly. "How do you think we lost Casey?"

"The Shredder's palace is surrounded by an army of foot police," Raphael informed, and I was reminded of the time Leo and I tried to sneak in.

"And terminators."

"And, Karia Legions."

"We can't even get inside to fight 'em," Raphael grumbled.

"And if you could, you couldn't beat him." I looked down again, to see a man in a wheelchair, with a box on his shoulder. Hun and Stockman. "Shredders new extol suit is stronger than ever. I should know. I designed it."

"It's impossible," Leo concluded.

"It can't be done, Donny," Raphael added. "It's hopeless."

"I don't know what happened to you guys," Donatello exclaimed, "but the turtles I knew believed that nothing was ever hopeless! Please, we can do this!"

He looked at Leo and Raphael with a hopeful look, and the two smiled, before shaking hands. My jaw dropped at the sight. Leo had always talked about Raphael with such hate, that I always thought it was a hopeful cause.

"Alright, Donny," Leo smiled. "We'll do it one more time. But please, tell me we have a fighting chance."

"I've been working up a plan," Donatello confided. "Do we have any hardware? Exo suits? Anything?"

"Well, we captured a Karai Legion Bot that Dr. Stockman has been modifying," April said, pointed a thumb at the brain and eye.

"Good," Donatello praised, "that's a start. And there's something we'll need from the lair."

"The lair?" Raphael asked. "It got wasted years ago."

"Not all of it," the purple turtle assured, smiling. "Now come on, we need to get to work."

They started to walk away, and my eyes followed Leo, glanced back me, nodding. When they were a safe distance away, I hopped down from my perch. My fall was nearly silent, but Raphael still spun on the spot, and threw a star in my direction. Before any of them could see me, I jumped into the shadows, taking a shaky breath.

"Someone was spying on us," Raphael growled, stepping forward.

"Yeah," Leo sighed, shaking his head. "But she was supposed to be more quiet. Honestly, Lynn, I trained you better than that!"

"Blame the shoes!" I scowled, still hiding.

"Lynn?" Michelangelo asked, squinting into the darkness.

"Well your covers blown now," Leo huffed. "Might as well come out."

I stepped out of the shadows, revealing myself to the others, who looked at me in shock. I walked over to Leo, fiddling with the strands of my hair. "Hello," I greeted, slightly smirking.

"Who's this?" Donatello asked, looking me up and down.

"My... partner," Leo decided, glancing at me. I edged closer to him, feeling uncomfortable under all the stares. "Guys, this is Lynn. Lynn, this is-"

"Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, and April," I interrupted, looking at each in turn. 

"Is she your girlfriend or somethin'?" Raphael asked, staring me up and down.

I rolled my eyes, and Leo and I both ignored him. "So, famous Donatello," I said, walking around him, studying him. "I heard you've been gone for years. What brings you back now?"

He looked at me in disbelief, then staring at Leo in shock. "How much does she know?"

"Not everything," I answered, smirking at Leo. "But close enough, yes?"

"She's on a need-to-know basis," Leo corrected, and I chuckled.

"That's what you think." I winked playfully, and he shook his head at me; something he did often. "But seriously, I hear all these stories about how you just up and left, and then you magically reappear with the insane idea to take down the most powerful man in the world. What gives?"

"Do you think we can't do it?" Donatello asked, staring at me quizzically.

"I think it's a challenge," I corrected, doing a back bend to stand next to Leo again. "And I love challenges."

Everyone looked at Leo and I with weird expressions, but we just smiled at each other. Leo had told me of the years he and his family had to hide underground, and that human contact was limited to few people. But, because of the hard times, a giant, talking turtle wasn't something to be afraid of. We still had to hide, to escape the Shredders wrath, but we when we did come out, the people seemed to know we were there to help.

"Anyway," Raphael coughed, "what's your plan, Don?"

"Simple, really," Donatello replied, and launched into his strategy.

And it was so brilliantly planned, that it had to work. It had to.

\---

"I still say you should've stayed behind," Leo griped, holding my hand.

"And miss this?" I countered. "Never in a million years. Besides, what if you get hurt?"

"I've gotten hurt before," he reminded me, pointing to one of his scars.

"You're not getting rid of me," I growled. "I'm here already, so it's too late."

Before he could respond, the tunneler slammed into Shredders palace, and the door slid open.

"Who dares-" we heard, but Michelangelo jumped out of our tank, followed by Leo, me, Raphael, and finally Donatello, who was decked out in robotic armor.

"Can the Shredder come out and play?" he asked, smirking.

"So," the Shredder said, and Karai stepped out of the way for a set of double doors to open, revealing the devil himself, "the Turtles have reunited." He didn't even look human anymore, like the last time I saw him. He was all metal, with four, large, deadly looking arms. "It is thirty years over due, but I will finally put an end to your pathetic lives!"

"Shredder," Donatello shouted, "your rein of terror is over!"

"Legion," Karai called, "attack!" Several robots that looked like Karai came running out of nowhere, and started to surround us. "Destroy them all!"

They all leaped forward, and Donatello's armor suddenly grew machine guns as he started shooting them down. "For Master Splinter!" he cried.

April leaped out of the tunneler, using a blaster to knock away several of the legions, and I took that as my cue to join in on the fight. Soon, Leo, Michelangelo, Raphael and I were put back to back, with Legions all around us.

"C'mon!" Mikey demanded. "We gotta buy Donny a little more time."

We jumped into actions, and I ended up facing a Legion with a katana for a hand. Kindness showed no mercy, and I hacked at the robots face, anger powering my slashes.

"Donny!" I heard, and turned slightly to see Mikey being overpowered by Legions. A tear slid down my cheek for the turtle as he screamed.

I turned away, and spotted Leo and Karai going at it. The She-Devil threw Leo against the wall, and I screamed in fury. I ran to meet her combat, while Leo was getting back on his feet. "Not today, Karai," I growled, slamming my katana against her own.

"This time, you have to make a choice," Leo spat, "once and for all!" He ran over, subconsciously taking my place, and fighting Karia hand to weapon. In no time, Leo had thrown her away from him, and he calmly walked over, using his foot to fling his katana into the air, and catching it swiftly. "Sorry, Karai. I never wanted it to be this way." He raised his katana, and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't look away. As he raised his katana, and Legion came up behind him.

I tear slipped down my cheek, and without thinking, I ran behind him to intercept the blow. The bots katana slashed at my side, and I screamed in pain.

At the sound of my cry, Leo spun on the spot, and I saw his eyes widen behind his glasses. "Lynn!" he cried, "No!"

I fell to the ground, and I was just barely able to see him lash out at the robot, tearing it to pieces. He then knelt down next to me, gripping my hand. "Why?" he asked. "Why did you do that?"

"You saved me," I gasped, struggling for air. "Remember? The day we first met, you saved me from a Legion Bot. It was my turn."

"Stupid," he hissed, cupping my face. "I told you, you should've stayed behind."

I started to laughed dryly, but ended up coughing. "I'd rather die, than be separated from you," I whispered, holding his hand to my face, and closing my eyes.

"No, Lynn, don't," he begged, and I felt him kneel down and kiss me. "Remember our promise? Always stick together, no matter what. We never leave each other."

I took a shaky breath, and tried to smile. "I never told you," I said, clinging to his hand, and opening my eyes once more. "I never told you that... that I love you. All this time, and I never told you."

A tear slid down his cheek, and landed on mine. "I love you too, Lynn Mitcher. I love you too."

My vision went blurry, and I saw movement behind Leonardo. "L-Leo-"

With a scream, he nearly collapsed on top of me, but just barely held himself up. Karai. She was standing over us, a regretful, but proud look on her face.

I shifted my gaze to Leo, his face being the last thing I wanted to see. He was in pain. I held on to his hand, and together, we slipped into the peaceful world of death.


End file.
